The Red String of Fate
by Estella May
Summary: After ending up on an incognito cross-country trip with Erza due to some meddling from his subordinates, Jellal wonders if he can really fight fate, and if he really wants to. Mystwalker fic.
1. Prologue

A/N: This fic originated out of a suggestion to write a Mystwalker AU for my Jerza one-shot series. I thought writing the flip-side of my first one-shot would be a fun and challenging thing to do, but then this fic ended up growing into a monster that probably wouldn't fit in a one-shot anymore. So, I'm going to be posting it here.

It's based on Chapter Six from the Fairy Tail light novel that came out last year, which provides an update on what the Edolas crew have been up to following the Edolas arc. You can read the translation on my Tumblr if you'd like.

Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

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_Prologue_

"It's really pouring outside…" Lucy muttered to nobody in particular as she stared out of the large windows in front of her desk.

The rain had been coming down in sheets ever since early in the morning, splattering against the roofs, walkways, and walls of the still-bewildering castle complex where she now lived. And beyond that, though she could only vaguely see them through the rain and mist, the concentric rings of the city were equally soaked.

Inside her large tower office, however, it was still dry and warm, with a fire going to ward off the autumn chill.

Lucy sighed and sank a bit deeper into her cushy chair.

Other people might associate the rain with boredom and gloominess, but she had only ever known it as the savior that gave her guild a welcome respite from the endless chase. Even the kingdom's mages could not force their magical steeds, the Legions, to fly out on days like these.

Rainy days were when they could relax, enjoy each other's company, and pretend that all was well.

She smiled happily and closed her eyes. Even if she was now the army's chief of staff and the second most powerful person in the entire kingdom, old habits were still hard to break.

As if she was reminded of that fact, she glanced back at the mountain of work on her desk and felt her brief moment of relaxation evaporate. It was in times like these that she wondered exactly what she was doing.

When the prince had asked for her help after the Earthland mages returned to their world, she had agreed as a matter of course. No matter if it had been in that world or not, he was still a member of Fairy Tail. But when he had appointed her chief of staff, she had balked at that decision.

All Lucy knew was how to survive as a mage on the run, constantly escaping the kingdom's clutches and adapting to whatever they might throw at her and her guild. She was completely unprepared to suddenly be in control of the most powerful military in the world.

Still, the prince had convinced her that he needed someone whom he could trust. And her guild had convinced her that they needed to do their part in rebuilding Edolas into the place it always should have been.

Lucy laughed a little and rested her head on the cool wooden surface of her desk.

She still had no business being chief of staff, just like Gray had no business being Captain of the First Defense Squad, or Natsu being Chief of Transportation. But they were all still trying their best and giving their all, even winning over some of the skeptics in the military and bureaucracy.

Maybe… being able to survive and adapt was precisely what was needed in times like these.

"Lucy?" asked a familiar voice. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, Natsu!" Lucy instantly sat up straight and faked a smile. It wouldn't do to show any worry or fear in front of her friends, especially after all the progress they had made lately. She turned and saw both Natsu and Gray standing near the doorway. "And Gray! Nothing's wrong, nothing at all!"

"Don't tell me our fearless chief of staff was taking a nap," Gray laughed. He was only wearing one overcoat today, of a lovely deep blue color. Lucy actually found herself rather proud of him.

"That's a nice coat," she commented, quickly changing the subject.

"Of course it is," said Gray, hearts forming in his eyes. "It's the same color as Juvia-chan's eyes!" He clasped his hands together and did a little twirl.

"That's nice," said Lucy. "And not at all sickening. Do you act like that in front of your soldiers too?"

"Of course he does," said Natsu, in a completely serious manner. "Gray's love is pure and strong and a beautiful thing."

"I knew you were my best friend for a reason!" Gray exclaimed as he knocked Natsu over with a sudden hug.

"Oi," said Lucy, pulling Gray off of him by the scruff of his neck. "I'm the only one who's allowed to tackle Natsu."

Gray, however, lost his balance and pulled her down with him until all three of them were a tangle of limbs and laughter.

It was at this time that Coco stuck her head inside the doorway. "Lucy," she said, "it's almost time for the council meeting… Oh, eek! I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Ah, it's okay," Lucy said as she moved Natsu's elbow out of her face. "We were just about ready anyway."

"Err... right." Coco still looked mortified and unsure of what to do or say.

"Well then boys, you heard my aide." Lucy stood up and brushed the dust off her leather jumpsuit. "It's time to go to the meeting."

"You're the boss." Gray laughed as he checked to see that no damage was done to his beloved coat.

They followed Coco out of Lucy's tower office and down a wide spiral staircase that led to the castle's main gathering areas. They passed a few soldiers along the way, each of whom gave them a quick salute. Lucy smiled and nodded in return, though she still hadn't quite gotten used to it.

"I hope the prince will finally set a date for the coronation," said Gray, once they arrived at a long ornate hallway that led directly to the meeting room. "He insisted that he wanted to hold off until the reconstruction was complete, and it finally wrapped up this week."

"Mmm, I agree," said Lucy. "The kingdom could really use a big celebration like a coronation to rally around right now. It would do wonders for morale. But who knows what he's thinking?"

"Why doesn't he tell you?" asked Natsu, puzzled. "I mean, you are his chief of staff and all."

"I wish," Lucy grumbled. "I don't think anyone knows what's going on in that head of his."

Their prince was kind, wise, and all-around wonderful, but he was also the most secretive person that Lucy had ever seen. Maybe it was because of all the time he had spent sneaking around in Earthland. Perhaps old habits were hard to break for him as well.

"I still like him a lot more than the previous king!" Coco exclaimed.

"Mmm, he is a lot more good-looking, isn't he?" Lucy smirked. "Makes you wonder what he looks like underneath all those wrappings."

"You're so bold, Lucy." Natsu blushed.

Lucy looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a sly smile. "It's okay, Natsu. He's not really my type. I like guys who are a bit more... submissive."

Natsu choked a little and did not reply.

"Since he's going to be the king," said Coco, with stars in her eyes, "he needs to marry the fairest lady in all the land and then they'll have beautiful little princes and princesses that'll run all over the castle and brighten up the place!"

"The fairest lady in all the land, huh? Well, that rules out Lucy," said Gray.

Lucy turned around and brought her fist down on Gray's head. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"Ow! Just kidding." Gray dodged before she managed to hit him next with an upper cut to the chin.

"Hmph." Lucy crossed her arms and turned back around. "I agree with Coco's idea though. It'd certainly help the stability of the kingdom if he found himself a wife and started producing some royal spawn."

"The fairest in all the land then… Who would that be?" Natsu wondered out loud. "It's hard to say, especially since everyone in Blue Pegasus is already gone…"

"What about Mira?" asked Lucy.

"I don't know... Mira's pretty much essential to the Royal Treasury now. They can't even function without her," Gray mused, scratching his chin. "What about Cana?"

"Cana's busy studying medicine at the Royal Academy," said Natsu. "Besides, I don't think she's exactly suited for something like this..."

"I have an idea," Coco piped up.

"Spit it out then," said Lucy.

Coco turned a bit red and looked down at her feet. "I've always thought that... well, Captain Knightwalker is the strongest and most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"The Fairy Hunter?" Natsu almost tripped over himself in shock.

"That is not her name," Lucy hissed at him. "Not anymore."

"Ah, sorry. I'm so sorry. I forgot. Old habit, I guess." Natsu cowered away from her. "Please don't hit me."

"We agreed when we decided to work for the kingdom that we would make a fresh start with everyone, didn't we?" Lucy demanded. "The royal military received and carried out their orders from the king. The one issuing all the orders was at fault here, not the people carrying out those orders, and he's already been deposed and exiled. We've managed to work with them to rebuild this kingdom without much conflict. I will not let anyone's loose tongue threaten whatever stability that we've managed to attain."

"Lucy is right," Gray nodded. "And ever since I got appointed Captain of the First Defense Squad, Captain Knightwalker's been nothing but cooperative with me."

"She pretty much grew up in the Royal Army," said Coco. "She's a soldier first and foremost, so she'll do whatever it takes to ensure the kingdom's strength and safety."

"I understand," said Natsu, looking like he was about to cry. "It won't happen again, I swear!"

Lucy sighed. She hadn't really liked the idea of working with the Fairy Hunter of all people at first either. But...they were working towards a common goal now. And Erza certainly had been nothing but cordial to any and all Fairy Tail members after the Earthland mages returned to their world. She wondered sometimes what had happened to make her attitude take a one hundred eighty degree turn. Perhaps she would never know.

"In any case, Coco does have an interesting idea," Lucy thought aloud, as she weighed all the different factors at play. "In fact, I think she might be the perfect choice. There are still quite a few people in the military and bureaucracy who aren't thrilled with the idea of _him_ as king, but they're all more or less insanely loyal to _her_. Marrying her would certainly wipe out any remaining opposition to him taking the throne. And they're sure to produce some incredibly strong purple-haired babies for Coco to coo over."

"Incredibly strong purple-haired babies?" Natsu looked like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or not.

"Lucy sure has her priorities straight," said Gray.

"And Captain Knightwalker would make such a beautiful bride!" Coco exclaimed, her eyes shining.

"You too!" Gray took a step back and gaped at her.

"But Lucy..." Natsu said gingerly, "you're forgetting one thing."

"What's that?"

"How are you going to make this happen? The prince and Captain Knightwalker don't seem to like each other in that way."

"They're both nineteen, aren't they? So they're still almost just teenagers. All we need to do is lock them in a closet together and let their hormones take over."

"I think Captain Knightwalker's more likely to just break the door down and escape," said Gray. "Or failing that, punch a hole through the wall and then escape. And then Mira will be angry with you for adding the cost of repairs to the royal budget."

"Hmm, I do see the flaws in that plan," Lucy grudgingly admitted. Maybe this was going to be harder than she thought.

"Did I hear my name? And what are all of you chatting about so secretively?" asked a voice behind them.

"Ah, Mira!" Lucy smiled at seeing their lovely white-haired Chief of the Royal Treasury.

"Incredibly strong purple-haired babies," said Gray.

"Incredibly strong purple-haired babies?" Mirajane repeated, confused.

"Well, they're still hypothetical purple-haired babies as of now," said Lucy. "We don't actually know that their kids will have purple hair."

"Lucy wants the prince to marry Captain Knightwalker," Natsu explained to a completely bewildered Mirajane.

"Ah, a royal wedding!" she exclaimed as she clasped her hands together in delight. "How wonderful!"

"Unfortunately we're not sure how to actually make it happen," Lucy admitted.

"Hmm, it is a tricky little problem, I agree." Mirajane looked thoughtful. "But perhaps not altogether hopeless. In fact, I might be willing to assist you in this very worthy endeavor. I have but one condition though."

"What's that?"

Her big blue eyes twinkled. "Let me plan the wedding. I can assure you that it's going to be absolutely perfect."

"Deal," Lucy immediately replied and held out her hand. This sort of arrangement was actually perfect for her, since she didn't have the time to plan something that enormous to begin with.

"It's a deal then." Mirajane took her hand in a firm handshake.

"I thought it was a totally crackpot idea, but now it might actually happen," said Gray, amazed at how quickly things were developing.

"What are you trying to imply?" Lucy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Nothing," he squeaked. "Anyway, it's almost time for the meeting to start. Shouldn't you hurry up, since you're the one running it?"

"Yes," she sighed, before turning around and pointing a finger in their direction. "Gray, no excessive sweating or anything of the sort if you're called on. Natsu, no fainting or turning bright red if you're asked to speak. It clashes horribly with your hair. Coco... just do whatever it is that you usually do. And Mira... well, I guess Mira's perfect."

"Yes, boss!" all four of them replied in unison.

"All right, let's do this!" Lucy led the way, as they marched into the council room.


	2. The Royal City

A/N: Sorry about the huge delay. I had a ridiculously stupid case of writer's block that I'm kind of ashamed to even mention.

Anyway, this chapter might be a bit slow, but I needed to get the exposition out of the way before I could get to the good stuff. Thanks everyone for all the comments. They've been a huge encouragement.

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_The Royal City_

It was still raining, Jellal thought as he glanced up at the circular windows installed high up near the council room's ceiling. The sky was still as grey as the one he had woken up to this morning in his large, yet persistently uncomfortable bedroom. He breathed a sigh of relief, happy that the rough weather that came with autumn in Edolas had waited until reconstruction was over to descend on them. While inconvenient, since it had more or less caused all outdoor activity to stop in the royal city, it at least would not cause any more suffering.

Jellal smiled, thinking about how similar this city was to Magnolia in that respect. He remembered how he could wander the streets without any prying eyes and how he had always avoided visiting the guildhall on days like these, knowing that any and all available members would be inside, relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

It still felt so surreal, knowing that he would never see that city or its occupants again.

It felt almost as surreal as being back in this particular room.

The council room was a long, high-ceilinged chamber on the palace's ground floor. A single rectangular table surrounded by carved wooden chairs stood at its center, and its walls were lined with bookcases full of recordings of previous meetings.

Long ago, in what now felt like a previous life, he had sneaked into this room now and then, through a passageway concealed behind one of the bookcases. Those were simpler, happier times, when his greatest concern had been learning ever stronger sleep spells to escape his handlers with. He had been so proud of his ability to sneak around the palace undetected for hours, free from the suffocating attention and pressure that came with being the kingdom's only prince.

That was before he had learned the truth about the kingdom that he was to inherit, and before the council in this very room approved the plan to convert human lives into magical power.

The doors to the council room suddenly swung open, jolting him out of his increasingly depressing thoughts.

Lucy strode in, followed by Coco, Natsu, Gray, and Mirajane. All five of them looked surprised at seeing him sitting alone at the head of the table.

"We're the first ones here?" Lucy looked around and scowled.

"It would appear so," he replied, happy to see the group that had become his most trusted advisors. He had arrived ten minutes earlier than everyone as usual, partially because it gave him some time alone to think. Being surrounded all day by various groups of people always made him feel exhausted, especially since he knew that not all of them thought well of him. To some people, especially those who knew the truth about the disappearance of magic, he'd probably always be the one who destroyed their way of life.

He glanced again at the group as they took their seats on the left-hand side of the table, and noticed someone missing. "I suppose Levy will not be joining us this time either?"

Lucy made a face. "No, apparently her time is too important to be spent at meetings with us."

"Levy and meetings don't mix very well," Natsu mumbled.

"Yeah, what did she call these again?" Gray asked.

"The worst waste of time that a group of paper-pushing pieces of incompetent burnt toast could possibly come up with," Mirajane said with a smile.

"I've been called many things before, but never a paper-pushing piece of incompetent burnt toast," said a voice by the door.

Jellal looked up as Erza entered the council room, followed by Hughes and Sugarboy. She still carried her Ten Commandments spear with her, even though it was nothing more than a battered old spear now. Hughes and Sugarboy both looked rather green, as if they had had a bit too much to drink the previous night. They were also sporting identical giant lumps on their heads.

Jellal smiled a little, amused at the sight. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened there.

"Ah, Captain Knightwalker! How nice of you to join us," said Lucy, standing up. "And Captains Hughes and Sugarboy as well. Levy means no offense, of course. She just has more talent with machines than she has common sense."

"No offense taken," Erza said as she sat down on the opposite side of the table from Lucy. "Our Chief of Science and Technology has spirit. I like that."

Jellal could tell from the looks on Hughes and Sugarboy's faces that they did take offense but remained silent when Erza made no complaints. "Levy does have remarkable talent with machines," he said, hoping to smooth things over as quickly as possible. "We'd be lost without her new artificial leaf machine. Something that can create fuel from air and sunlight. I never would've in my wildest dreams thought something like that would be possible."

"She's been working on that thing for years," said Lucy. "Ever since magic was outlawed and we realized that we might need an alternate source of power someday. Even if we did still prefer magic above all."

The council room fell silent as they broached the still-thorny topic of magic. Jellal smiled and decided that it was best to change the topic. "Since everyone's here now, how about we start the meeting?"

"Good idea." Lucy glanced down at the notes that Coco had placed in front of her. "I guess we'll get started with the security situation. Gray, can you update the prince on how things are in Sector G?"

"They're mostly the same as last week," said Gray. "Not much happening except for a few scattered reports of looting. We caught the perpetrators though. And Captain Knightwalker just happened to be in the area, so she gave them a good… lecture before we sent them off to a work team. I don't think they'll be doing it again in the future anytime soon."

"That's good to hear," said Lucy. "Captain Hughes, how are things in Sector D?"

"We've got things under control." Hughes yawned a little and stretched. "It's been utterly boring lately. Almost makes me wish someone would start a riot again."

"Mmm, that's true," said Sugarboy. He looked at Gray and waggled his eyebrows. "And I would be happy to come to your… assistance in case of a riot, Captain Sorouge. Anything for you…"

Gray leaned further back in his chair and looked like he might be sick.

Jellal sighed and decided to change the topic again. "How are things in the outlying areas, Captain Knightwalker?" he asked.

"Mostly quiet, with a few reports of bandits cropping up here and there. I rode out with my division two days ago to investigate, but we couldn't find any sign of them." Erza looked frustrated as she clenched her fist tightly around her spear. "I am not used to failing my sovereign in such a manner. Will there be an appropriate punishment for my transgression?"

"Ah, I don't think that'll be necessary," he quickly replied. "I'm sure you will be able to track them down in time."

Erza nodded, though she still looked unhappy.

"I guess we saved the bad news for last," said Lucy. "Mira, will you give the prince an update on how the Treasury is doing?"

"It's not all bad news," said Mirajane. "With the help of the Legions, we managed to drastically cut down on labor costs for the reconstruction. In fact, I think we might be able to begin paying the Army's wages again starting this month."

"That is wonderful news," said Jellal. The increasing discontent among the Royal Army had been one of the things weighing heaviest on his mind. "But I assume that that's not all you have to report."

"I'm afraid not," she replied. "Tax receipts from the outlying cities have been slow to arrive both this month and the previous one. I dispatched three messengers on Legions to Traia, Sycca, and Louen to find out what's going on, but none of them have returned as of yet."

"Mmm, we've been focusing so much on rebuilding the royal city, that I guess we've pretty much neglected all the outlying cities," said Lucy.

"Those cities generally lacked magic even before the final Anima event," said Erza. "And they were untouched compared to the royal city, from what I hear. But the lack of news and tax receipts deserves further investigation."

Jellal nodded in agreement. "Does anyone else have any information on what might be happening?" he asked.

When nobody responded, he tried to remember anything that he could about the outlying cities, which wasn't much. He had gone with his father on a tour once, to all the various lands under control of the Kingdom of Edolas. And everywhere he went, all the people looked so well-fed and happy and content with their lives. It was only later that he realized that he had only seen what the local officials had wanted him to see. And now he was facing a possible situation out there in the very same places.

"Somebody has to go to these cities and find out what's going on," he decided. "And they'll have to go incognito so that the local officials won't cover up what's actually going on."

Somebody who had common sense and the ability to handle a possibly delicate situation without screwing it up, he thought as he looked around at the group assembled before him.

He groaned. Where was he going to find someone like that?

"That's a good idea," Mirajane immediately spoke up. "Why don't you go yourself? There's nobody more capable of handling this situation than you yourself."

"But wait," Lucy quickly interjected, "he can't possibly go undercover with the sort of guard that he needs."

"True, but if he's undercover then he also won't present nearly as large of a target for anyone wishing him harm." Mirajane gave her a smile that made Jellal feel slightly unsettled. "I think having Captain Knightwalker go with him would be sufficient. They can travel light and she knows the entire kingdom better than anyone else here, thanks to her… previous activities."

"Oh… _OH_…" Lucy's eyes went round and her mouth dropped open, giving her the appearance of a fish. "Okay, I see now. Why yes, you're absolutely correct and I was stupid to doubt you. Just as expected of Mira."

"Just as expected of Mira," Gray repeated, looking equally surprised and for some reason, impressed.

"Yeah, who knew Mira would be this good…" Natsu started to say, before Lucy stomped on his foot.

"What exactly is going on here?" asked Jellal, feeling slightly suspicious.

"Oh, nothing much," said Mirajane, with that slightly creepy smile still frozen on her face. "We made a pact to try to give you at least one useful suggestion each day. It was_ supposed to be a secret_, but I guess some of us forgot about that."

"Right," he said, though he couldn't shake this feeling that the four of them were up to something. Nothing but the absolute trust that he placed in any and all Fairy Tail members prevented him from pursuing this matter any further.

"So how about it? Was it a useful suggestion?" she asked. "We should probably decide as soon as possible, so we can resolve this matter before your coronation."

Right, the coronation. He had been putting that off, for reasons that he had no particular desire to share with anyone. In any case, Mirajane's suggestion did seem somewhat attractive. It would give him a chance to examine the outlying cities himself, without the distorting filter of anyone else's perceptions. It would allow him to move about freely again, for the first time since his return to Edolas. And some small part of his brain still cherished the opportunity to sneak about undetected, as he had done when he was a child and later on, growing up in Earthland.

He glanced over at Erza, who hadn't had any sort of reaction to the suggestion. "Are you okay with this idea?" he asked.

"I will do whatever my prince wishes," she replied.

"I will consider it then," he said.

Mirajane's smile of triumph at hearing his answer made him wonder briefly what he was about to get himself into.

Well, he was about to find out.


End file.
